Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: The Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that Sindh Government was implementing a five year Joint Action Plan (JAP) to ensure safety to workers at their work place. He said that Sindh Government was adopting all possible measures within its ambit for welfare of workers despite of the fact that the main sources for the purpose still lying with the Federal Government. He said that after 18th amendment made in 2010, the subject of the labour had been devolved to the provinces but its main soursing components Employees Old Age Benefits Institute (EOBI), Workers Welfare Fund (WWF) etc. not handed over to the provinces till yet. He said that though we protested for that but after passage of four years nothing so far has been made in this regard.
He said that now the Sindh Government to take this matter in the CCI meeting to get its constitutional right so that it to ensure the proper welfare of the workers in the province.
This he said while talking to the country director of International Labour Organization (ILO) – United Nation Mr. Francesco d’Ovidio who called on him at CM House today. The Chief Minister Sindh said that worker’s safety at work place was very much essential to avoid any incident of human losses, and added that Sindh Government is implementing five year joint action Plan prepared by concerned stake holders and launched in 2012 for the safety of the workers. Acceding the recommendation from Country Director ILO, The Chief Minister Sindh assured him to expedite implementation on the JAP.
During the discussion, The Chief Minister Sindh also invited Technical and Expertise Support from the ILO of United Nation for strengthening its institutions established for providing technical education/ technical training to youths of Sindh and enabling them either to get job in public/ private sector or earn their livelihood at their own. He said that at least 70 Trades are being thought to the jobless youths with stipend in these institutions without discrimination of gender. The Chief Minister Sindh further informed the country director of ILO, that Sindh Government was spending Rs. 2 billion on the revival of sick industries not only to get maximum production but to restore the jobs of the workers. He said that ideologically the PPP believes in the strength and importance of the workers in national economy and it is working for the welfare of the workers constantly in national interest. He said that founder of PPP Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Muhtarma Benazir Bhutto were of the opinion that workers be made as partners of the entrepreneur and they must enjoy the free education, health facilities and food on subsidized rates. He said that PPP leadership conceived many projects and policies in this regard but unfortunately due to imposition of dictatorship for longtime, these policies could not be materialized. However he maintained that here in Sindh we have strongly protected the workers’ rights specially at Steel Mill and P.I.A and opposed the privatization policy because of workers interests.
He said that workers friendly policy of the PPP Government can be gauged from the facts, that when it(we) came into power in 2008, then PPP Government under the directives of Co-Chairman and Ex-President Asif Ali Zardari inducted at least 35,000 workers who were removed from their job on political victimization in the past. Besides, the PPP Government provided direct & indirect 2 lac jobs to the unemployed youth and opened differenced training institutions for skill development of literate and illiterate youths in the province. He said that more than 50,000 such trained youth from these institutions, have been absorbed in private and public sector or engaged in self employment. He said that Sindh Government need latest technical support to make these institutions more success and ILO can do this or arrange this better way in the workers interest.
The country Director (I.L.O) Mr. Francesco d’Ovido while talking in the meeting desired for expediting the implementation on the Joint Action Plan (JAP) to ensure the safety of the workers at their work place and avoid disaster like incidents in future. He also desired form maintaining International level labour standard in the province and also offered technical help from his organization as well.
The Country Director also lauded the efforts of the Sindh Government that it was adopting for the workers welfare and safety purpose. He said that it was because of Sindh Government interest that only Sindh province has the farmer’s organizations in the field in Pakistan. This reflects to bring the workers/ Framers in safe, secure and discipline fold.
SSGC’s Task force conducts raid in Rustam Zikri Goth, Karachi
More than 800 illegal gas connections disconnected
SSGC’s task force conducted an operation in Rustam Zikri Goth situated in Block 11 of Gulistan-e-Juhar, Karachi and disconnected more than 800 connections which were found using gas illegally. The illegal customers were stealing gas through Rubber pipe network that was connected with SSGC’s main distribution pipeline.
The SSGC’s task force took immediate on spot action against culprits by removing all rubber pipes and accessories which were being used in this gas theft.
According to the details, the gas thieves were stealing 36.7mmcf (million cubic feet) gas per day, amounting to Rs. 12 million annually.
The operation against gas thieves was lead by Nawab Ali Shah, Acting Chief Manager (CRD). SSGC’s security services department provided the security cover to the team engaged in disconnection operation.